switching from "just keep the bowls filled" to measured and scheduled feedings, is it enough?

Okay, since being fixed, both the kitty-kids have started eating a lot more, and are both getting a little chubby. I wish I remembered Hades' weight when he was fixed... anyhow... so, I'm switching from just filling the bowls when the cats can see the bottom to scheduled, measured feedings. A few questions and issues...

First, would a cup of decent kibble twice a day be enough for both cats? Hecate, when she was spayed, weighed 5.4 lbs. She's put on some chubb since then. Hades is our big boy. He's at least 8 lbs. I'm thinking one cup in the morning, and one at night.

Second, Hades is a hog... and Hecate is a nibbler... how can I properly accommodate them both? They're used to just being able to go to the bowl whenever and having the food be there, or being able to signal that the bowl's empty. I set down the evening cup a bit ago and Hades essentially finished the first bowl (I split the cup between two bowls) and moved on to the second. I hissed at him and he backed off. Hecate's been over a couple times to nibble, but I'm a bit worried about Hades hoovering up all the food and leaving nothing for Hecate. Besides, his weight needs to stabilize as well. I'm not interested in them losing weight... I just want them to maintain.

Oh, and they don't get wet food anymore because for some reason wet food makes Hades' waste reek to high heaven, and he flat refuses to bury it. It's bad enough with the decent kibble, but is so much worse when he eats wet. They're eating Goodlife chicken and brown rice.

A cup of kibble twice a day... for a total of two cups of dry food? That sounds like way too much. My 12 lb cat only gets 1/2 cup per day to maintain his weight. Dry food is also far more calorie dense than wet. You can't pay attention to the directions on the food bag... companies just want to sell as much food as possible.

Maybe check with your vet for a exact calorie per day count.

Should I ramp it back slowly? I think Hades will start riots if I cut them immediately down to less than that...

Yes, reducing slowly would be best for him. Also, to prevent cats stealing food from each other, you'll have to feed them separately.

Be sure to keep them active and get them to exercise as well!

If you want to maintain their current weight then measure how much food it takes to fill the bowl to the top.  Let them eat as usual, but after 24 hours, measure how much food they didn't eat.  That will tell you how much food they are actually eating.  A 3-5 day average should be a good sample.  That gives you a starting point to maintain a consistent amount of measured servings of food, or cut back a tiny bit if you want them to lose a little weight.

It's very difficult to free-feed kibble when you have one cat eating quickly and one nibbler.  Does Hecate eat canned food faster?  If so, could you feed Hecate canned food in a separate room?  If that won't work, you could create a private dining area for Hecate inside a very large storage box that you would cut an entry/exit door large enough for her to fit through but too small for Hades.

There are also now pet doors that are activated by the cat's microchip.  You could then allow Hecate access to an entire room where her food is kept, if that works for you.  Of course that means that Hades would never have access to that room except when you let him in.

Hecate was a nibbler even when she was on wet food as a kitten... and I swear that Hades has some kind of food anxiety... he's always been a hog... if there's food out, he'll mow it down as fast as he can... I use smaller bowls, each holds about half a cup (a bit more) and the two bowls are emptied twice a day... usually by Hades. I wonder if I can create a box space for Hecate so she can eat at her leisure? That might work... or Hades might bully his way in somehow... I'll have to try it. I'm in a small apartment, so separate rooms aren't really an option.

If she's 5.4 lbs and he is 8 lbs then I think you can cut a door into a box that is too small for him, but that she can easily get into and out of.  If you like the idea, I would suggest one of those Sterlite bins.  That would be easy for you to put the food bowl in through the lid and also easy to clean.

Thanks. I'll try that!

One more thing...get a translucent one that lets light in...she might not want to eat in a dark room.  Or maybe she would like it...who knows...she is a cat after all. 

Did you figure anything out yet? I've been in literally the same situation with my two cats, one is teeny and one is a big boy, not fat but big, he eats as fast as a dog and she takes her precious time. I ended up having to find a food she absolutely loved (which was extremely hard) and i put her in a room with me and close the door until she finishes her food, every single day. She also gets wet food every night as well and has never had a problem finishing that. But if you can't get your kitty to eat all at once this method may not work for you. :\

abyeb said:

A cup of kibble twice a day... for a total of two cups of dry food? That sounds like way too much. My 12 lb cat only gets 1/2 cup per day to maintain his weight.

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She said her cats get wet food no longer. Surely 2 cups of dry food per day for 2 cats is not excessive?

When you say your cat gets only 1/2 cup of dry per day, I presume he gets wet food also?

Charlie is tricky, he refuses to eat wet food for whatever reason and has to be on prescription k/d. I am giving him the amount of food that the vet told me to, and he is maintaining his weight (12 lbs), meaning that he is not over- or underweight by any means, so his ribs are not visible, but can be felt under a layer of skin, muscle, and fat. Dry food tends to be more calorie-dense than wet food and is sprayed with oil before it is packed (which is probably why Charlie prefers it, even though it's not the healthiest, I'm just glad I can get him to eat). So, to answer your question, yes, he gets 1/2 a cup of dry food daily (plus some treats!). 1/2 a cup of wet food would be even less calorie-wise, as much of the can is water.

I'm still confused if you are talking about two cups per day for both cats put together or two cups per day per each cat. Of course, every cat's metabolism and energy level is different so their calorie needs will very slightly. I think that, for your situation, it would be best to feed each cat separately, whether that is with scheduled meal times (in which either cat is called into a private room to eat a measured amount of food) or with a feeding system with a microchip reader.